Pietro Mascagni and His Operas

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Summary: For anyone who has thrilled to a Pietro Mascagni opera
Review: Exhaustively researched and adroitly written by pianist, composer, and independent scholar Alan Mallach, Pietro Mascagni And His Operas is the informative biography of talented Italian opera writer Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) whose great works include L'Amico Fritz, Guglielmo Ratcliff, Iris, Parisina, and many others. Written with privileged access to Mascagni's 4,200 letters to Anna Lolli, his mistress for more than thirty years, Pietro Mascagni and His Operas is an eye-opening portrait of a man's complex, talented life and his most remarkable music. Pietro Mascagni And His Operas is a welcome and very highly recommended addition to any Music History collection and "must" reading for anyone who has thrilled to a Pietro Mascagni opera.

Rating:
Summary: Make Room for Mascagni in your operatic world!
Review: Pietro Mascgni is a nineteenth century operatic composer whose works deserve recongnition! Mascagi was a composer whose strength was melody; whose oeuvre was extensive and whose career spanned over half a century. The talented son of humble folks he became famous when his first opera Cavalleria Rusticana made him rich and famous! Like Lord Byron he woke up to find himself famous! Mallach describes the salient plot lines and comments with his musical expertise on all of the many unknown Mascagni operas. Mascagni was much more than a one opera composer. His character was bipolar and he was complex. His affair with his only mistress as well as stormy times with friends and family are given attention. However, the real value of this book is in the details of the maestro's works. Opera fans will relish Mallach's years of research in this first English language biography.